baron
[ bar-uh n ]
/ ˈbær ən /
|
noun
a member of the lowest grade of nobility.
(in Britain)
- a feudal vassal holding his lands under a direct grant from the king.
- a direct descendant of such a vassal or his equal in the nobility.
- a member of the House of Lords.
an important financier or industrialist, especially one with great power in a particular area: an oil baron.
a cut of mutton or lamb comprising the two loins, or saddle, and the hind legs.
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Compare baron of beef.
Origin of baron
1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin barōn- (stemof barō) man < Germanic; sense “cut of beef” perhaps by analogy with the fanciful analysis of sirloin as “Sir Loin”
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for barons
British Dictionary definitions for barons
baron
/ (ˈbærən) /
noun
a member of a specific rank of nobility, esp the lowest rank in the British Isles
(in Europe from the Middle Ages) originally any tenant-in-chief of a king or other overlord, who held land from his superior by honourable service; a land-holding nobleman
a powerful businessman or financiera press baron
English law (formerly) the title held by judges of the Court of Exchequer
short for baron of beef
Word Origin for baron
C12: from Old French, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German baro freeman, Old Norse berjask to fight
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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